Lillian M. Follmer, GW #124 

Lillian was born on 7 June 1898, probably in Cleveland, Ohio, since that is where her family was in 1900.  Her parents were Jacob and Minnie (Miller) Follmer.  Minnie was born in Germany, arrived in the United States in 1882, and naturalized in 1900.  Jacob was a first generation American; his parents were born in Germany.  Jacob provided for his wife and three kids by being a mattress maker.  By 1920 Lillian had joined the Gospel Worker Society and is living in Altoona with other Gospel Workers.  Her occupation in the census is listed as Colporter, Gospel Worker.  By 1930 Lillian had joined the other Gospel Workers in Cleveland, Ohio.  Before 1935 she left the Gospel Worker Society and joined the staff at the Salvation Army Mary B. Talbert Home for Colored Girls. This was a home for unwed mothers.  At the time, girls and women of color would not be helped by other such institutions.  In the 1938 Cleveland city directory Lillian is listed as a nurse in the home.  In the 1940 census Lillian reports that she is a dietician and that she had six years of formal education.  Lillian did not remain at this institution either.  Sometime in 1941-1943 she married Charles Parish Wilson.  In 1950 they were living in Cleveland where Charles was working as a maintenance man in a meat processing plant.  The date of Lillian’s death remains a mystery, but she was still living when her brother Carl died in June 1968.  Below is a photo of the Salvation Army home where she worked.